Forget Thanksgiving and Christmas, we are now officially in my favorite holiday season…Awards Season. This Sunday are the Golden Globe Awards and you can click HEREfor a full listing of nominees. I enjoy the Golden Globes for what they are…the slightly tipsy foreign exchange student to the Oscars. A few weeks later on January 27th the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards are given out and these are enjoyable because they are only given for performance categories and are voted on by the true peers of the nominees/winners. That’s true somewhat for the Oscars but there’s something about the SAG Awards that make them feel like a valued win and not a popularity contest. The day before the Oscars are the Spirit Awards given out to independent films from the past year. If you’ve never watched these awards I highly encourage it…they are very much like the films they celebrate…independent and rough around the edges.

All of these are merely appetizers for the Academy Awards which will be given out on February 24, 2013. Sure to be a lavish affair (even if they are being hosted by the mostly funny but ego-centric Seth McFarlane, Ted), I’ve yet to miss an Academy Awards telecast or the live announcement of the official nominees.

Before the nominations are announced at 7:38 am tomorrow morning, let me go out on a limb and give my predictions as to what is going to be up for major awards and who is going to wake up an Oscar nominee.

Best Picture

Ever since the field was changed from 5 nominees to a possible 10, this one is always hard to predict…so let me start with five nominees and then go up from there….

Close Calls – While The Master was a huge buzz film before it was released, its actual reception was so chilly I’m not sure it will earn a place on the list.

If there’s any justice…Skyfall will be the first James Bond film to be nominated for Best Picture. One of the best films of the year and most definitely the best Bond film ever produced, this was a full serving of entertainment with more to it than just cool cars and spy adventures.

Close Calls – Again, The Master is popping up as a close call…but potential Best Actor nominee Joaquin Phoenix is such a puzzle in and of himself, he may have hurt his chances at a nomination by starring in an equally puzzling film.

If there’s any justice… Poor Richard Gere…he just can’t catch a break. Though he could possibly unseat Jackman, his work in Arbitage probably will go un-nominated.

Close Calls – Helen Mirren is also being mentioned in this category…and while she was wonderful in Hitchcockthe film itself wasn’t well liked. I think there are enough women who did great work in better films that should wind up with a nomination.

If there’s any justice… PLEASE let Quvenzhane Wallis be nominated! If anyone should go from this list it’s Watts…I’ve heard her film is strong as is her performance but let’s have the youngest ever nominee (Wallis) up against the oldest ever nominee (Emmanuelle Riva, Amour)

Close Calls – Leonardo DiCaprio may miss the boat on this, his work in Django Unchained was better than his last five films but he’s in good company with his co-stars Christoph Waltz and Samuel L. Jackson…both of whom could wind up here. Bardem might be the one to miss the mark if DiCaprio love fills the hearts of voters…but I wouldn’t count out Bardem’s recent surge of support.

If there’s any justice… Tom Cruise would get some love for putting it all out there in Rock of Ages. Yes, the film was a total mess but his performance is still one of the most memorable (in a good way) for me at the end of the year. It’s never going to happen but I had to go on record saying he deserves it.

Close Calls – I haven’t seen The Paperboy but boy is Nicole Kidman getting surprising recognition for her steamy work. Though it came and went pretty fast, Kidman may just pop up here, replacing Adams or Smith.

If there’s any justice… the Supporting categories are always where Oscar tends to throw a few nice curveballs so here’s hoping that Brit Kelly Reilly scores her first nomination for her haunting work alongside Denzel Washington in Flight. Director Robert Zemeckis could have cast any Hollywood female for the role but he made a killer choice by going with Reilly.

Well, folks…this has been an interesting year for movies. It’s hard to believe I started this blog a year ago tomorrow…time sure does fly. I’ve learned a lot in this past year and can see how my review style has evolved over the past twelve months. I’ve appreciated your feedback, your company, and just your presence in my blog because I’ve used it all to help it get better. Even if you read this everyday but never commented…I can still tell you’ve been here and that means a lot. My readership has increased every month and it’s thanks to your word of mouth that has helped me get this blog up and running. Some interesting developments are on the horizon that should make 2013 even more fun for you and me – thank you again for your patronage and keep spreading the news about The MN Movie Man.

Best Wishes to you and yours for a most Happy New Year!

~Joe (The MN Movie Man)

And now…the Best/Worst/Special Mentions of 2012. Keep reading all the way to the bottom for a grand total that made me equal parts embarassed and proud.

5. Moonrise Kingdom – Wes Anderson has been hit or miss for me for his entire career. For each film I’ve liked there have been two that followed I could barely sit through. Thankfully, Moonrise Kingdom is one of his best – a richly rewarding work that was as colorfully offbeat as you can be without making a Pee-Wee Herman movie. Anderson gathered his usual troupe of players, many of whom play against type to wonderful results. It’s not for everyone but those that like this kind of storytelling will be quite entertained.

4. Silver Linings Playbook – A most unexpected delight from director David O. Russell and an impressive line-up of actors, Silver Linings Playbook was not only one of the best films of the year but also one of the more unpredictable. It kept changing its course ever so slightly so that you were never quite sure where you were headed. In a year filled with great performances, the work of Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro and Bradley Cooper should be dully recognized at Oscar time.

3. End of Watch – You missed this in theaters, didn’t you? Shame on you! Though well reviewed, End of Watch has come and gone into your local movie theaters TWICE since it was released in September. The second release was aimed to give some extra oomph for Oscar voters but it may be all for naught as other higher-profile films drew the audiences that should have made this a priority. Jake Gyllenhaal gives what may be his best performance along with underrated character actor Michael Pena as they play cops in Los Angeles that get on the very wrong side of a vicious drug ring. The camera work and direction were excellent but it’s Gyllenhaal and Pena who make the dark drama fire on all cylinders.

2. Skyfall– Sorry Sean Connery but the mantle of “Best James Bond” has officially been passed to Daniel Craig. The long-awaited return to the screen of 007 was an absolute winner from start to finish. With a new director on board who was willing to push everyone involved to give their best, most timely work – a different kind of spy adventure emerged. Add top shelf performances from Craig, Judi Dench, and SAG Award nominee Javier Bardem along with Adele’s (hopefully Oscar nominated) classy/classic theme song and you have all the makings for a film that set the Bond bar quite high.

1. Beasts of the Southern Wild – Though I saw this in mid-July, I’ve been unable to shake some of the passages and performances in Benh Zeitlin’s unique film. Following a father and daughter in a bayou community as they live with the aftermath of Hurricaine Katrina, the film is pure magic thanks to Zeitlin’s creative script and the one-two punch of actors Quvenzhané Wallis and Dwight Henry. If there is any justice, Wallis will become the youngest Best Actress Oscar nominee in history for her absolutely unforgettable performance. You may have missed this one in the theaters, but it is available now for home viewing through the usual channels.

5. One for the Money – Katherine Heigl blew her chances at a franchise with the total disaster that was One for the Money. The first of the Stephanie Plum mysteries, this could have been a real game changer for her career but sadly Heigl is not a good enough actress to carry the film anywhere. Though it may have worked better as a television series, there is still no good reason why Heigl was given the opportunity to bring Plum to life. Heigl just isn’t a leading lady as her last five films have proven. She needs to take a long, hard look at what type she is…I’d vote for the bitchy girlfriend supporting role.

4. Mirror Mirror– The first (and worst) of two disappointing Snow White films this year, Mirror Mirror earns its spot on the list by featuring some of the best looking sets/costumes paired with an absolutely abysmal plot and performances. Though Julia Roberts may have relished playing someone wicked, she doesn’t have the follow through to make it work. She looks like she’s having a great time…at our expense. The truly awful one here is Lily Collins as Snow White, hampered by an unfortunate set of bushy eyebrows and a bad habit of letting her mouth hang open whenever she’s not speaking…she makes the fabled heroine seem like an absolute mouth breathing idiot.

3. Magic Mike– I know I’m in the minority on this, but I found Magic Mike to be a piece of crap. Even with the pedigree of a good (but inconsistent) director and a buzz-worthy cast, the movie went nowhere slowly. The most interesting thing about the film was in its origins as a loose adaptation of star Channing Tatum’s pre-Hollywood life as a stripper. Filled with ugly cinematography, a terrible soundtrack of awful music, and more than a few head-scratching developments that didn’t jive, no amount of bared flesh could ultimately save this film from pole dancing onto my Worst of 2012 list.

2. This Is 40– A late addition to this list but well deserving of the high placement, This Is 40 was the worst comedy I saw in 2012. Most frustrating was that it featured two very likable stars in a film I described in my review as “a miserable cinematic mallet to the head.” That the film could feature such funny people and be virtually laugh free is a gigantic achievement. Director/writer Judd Apatow has once again forgotten that the first step in making an interesting film is to make it, well, interesting. It’s a dull, sloppy, crude movie that’s 134 minutes of fights about the same thing and observations on married life/aging/raising kids that were funnier on episodes of Home Improvement.

1. The Apparition – Without question, The Apparition is the worst worst Worst of the Worst in 2012. Seemingly edited by a rotating group of morons that never saw what the other was doing, the film makes no sense and has terrible acting on top of it all! Twilight star Ashley Greene should be thankful she made some cash on that franchise because her movie career is over. It’s a film that should never be heard from again…along with everyone that made it.

John Carter – I still don’t get why people attacked this film quite the way they did. I found it to be an enjoyable sci-fi flick that blended some nice elements from adventure serials of the past. With parts reminding me of the Indiana Jones films and nice performances from Taylor Kitsch (who struggled through Battleship but did good work in Savages in 2012) and Lynn Collins, the film was a critical and financial disaster. I just don’t get why it was SO bad…I for sure saw worse big budgeted films this year.

Prometheus– A huge Alien fan, I had been looking forward to the semi-prequel Prometheus ever since it was announced nearly two years ago. Though it left many with questions that didn’t get answered, I found Ridley Scott’s return to the genre he helped redefine (twice, once with Alien and again with Blade Runner) to be an entertaining ride. Heck, I saw it three times in the theater and would have seen it again had I had the time.

Synopsis: After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.

Review: Quick! What’s the best thing about going to the movies? The answers to this question vary from person to person as we all have our own reasons for seeing (or not seeing) movies. Some go for the escapism, some go for the stars, and others go for solitude. As I get older and amass a large amount of titles under my “Seen” belt I’ve found that it’s when a movie genuinely surprises me that I feel the most maximum reward. What ultimately makes Silver Linings Playbook so excellent is the way it bucks your typical movie framework for something wholly unique, original, moving, and quite entertaining.

Adapted from the novel of the same name by Matthew Quick, here is a film that reveals its heart slowly through scenes of clashing personalities, unspoken hurts, and newfound pain. The characters in the film are pretty flawed but not unredeemable in the eyes of the filmmakers or the viewers. We want to like the man (Cooper) who gets bailed out early from a court mandated stay in a mental institution. And we want to like his parents (Weaver and DeNiro) who bring him home while he recovers. And we really, really want to like the girl (Lawrence) that comes into the life of Cooper’s character and shows herself to be both what he needs and what he fears.

Rightfully, Cooper eschews his pretty boy image and instead produces a character that is obviously severely troubled and probably shouldn’t be in the general population. Suffering a break from sanity related to his adulterous wife and their already unhealthy relationship, he emerges from the institution still wearing the scars of that experience. Cooper throws himself into the role and lets us into the mind of Pat by showing in his controlled physicality all that is going on inside him. Obsessed with a reunion with his wife, he blasts his way through his friends and family in the pursuit of wholeness.

Into his life comes another broken soul in the form of young widow Tiffany played to perfection by Lawrence. Though originally cast with Anne Hathaway, I can’t imagine Hathaway bringing the same quality that Lawrence does to the multi-layered role. Lawrence started off 2012 with a towering performance in the blockbuster The Hunger Gamesand has ended it with an award-worthy leading role that might just break your heart. 2012 isn’t quite over yet but Lawrence may have given the performance of the year.

More good news in the acting department comes from DeNiro who is doing his best work in years. Strangely attracted to random roles (Being Flynn, Red Lights), he seems to have landed on a real winner here with a part that was changed from the book and tailored to DeNiro’s strengths. DeNiro reminds us why he’s one of the great actors the silver screen has ever seen when he opens up to his son about regrets and disappointment. At the screening I attended author Quick was present and he let us know that DeNiro and Cooper had a father-son bond going into the film and it’s clear to see a high level of respect between the two men in a few blazingly powerful scenes of honesty.

Honest is an adjective I’d use to describe the film because it doesn’t go for the easy out or simple explanation. It presents a viewpoint in the lives of a fractured family as they pick up the pieces and see if they can fit together again. Though Cooper, Lawrence, and DeNiro are standouts…there’s nice work from Weaver, Tucker, Stiles, Whigham, and Kher. Only Ortiz strikes a sour note…but that’s mostly due to his role being given a bit too much weight that doesn’t feel justly earned.

It’s hard to really describe the film in great detail without uncovering some of the surprises it has in store for you along the way. It’s terrifically funny but colored with a deeply felt melancholy that could only work in the right hands. Thankfully, the right hands are all over the film in its diverse score by Danny Elfman, an inspired soundtrack of spot-on song titles, clever and constantly in motion cinematography by Masanobu Takayanagi, and the strong script by Russell who has a great ear for believable dialogue.

Russell’s last film The Fighter spelled Oscar gold for Christian Bale and Melissa Leo and it’s not hard to see award potential in this film as well. Expect this to be an Oscar favorite (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor) when nominations are announced. Though it’s mid-November and more award-targeted films are waiting in the wings, I’d say that Lawrence is looking primed to nab a Best Actress Oscar for her work here.

Synopsis: After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.

Release Date: November 21, 2012

Thoughts: Director David O. Russell has been a mixed bag for me. I greatly enjoyed his work with The Fighter and Flirting with Disaster but can’t get over the nightmare that was I Heart Huckabees. I know it was a polarizing film but I still look back at that film with disdain – it was the closest I’ve ever come to leaving a film.

Anyway…Russell’s first film since The Fighter is this drama starring two actors dwelling at the top of Hollywood’s current “It” list. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence both have balanced their careers with popular fare while still going after indie cred. With Silver Linings Playbook they may have found a happy medium. Bringing along heavyweight Robert DeNiro can’t be a bad thing either…though DeNiro’s choices as of late haven’t exactly seemed artistic in nature. Surely its November release date is a sign that there are some hopeful award worthy performances…that is if Russell can continue his winning streak.